Restaurante Pistache — Restaurant in Lagoa

A Hidden Gem in Carvoeiro – Restaurante Pistache

After a long, sun-drenched day at Zoomarine, we rolled into Carvoeiro more interested in feeding tired children than planning a memorable meal. The kids were clamouring for pizza, and Restaurante Pistache looked like the sort of spot that might do the job – casual, friendly-looking, and close enough to park ourselves without fuss.

We couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised.

From the moment we arrived, the staff were outstanding – warm, attentive, and genuinely keen to make us feel welcome. What began as a quick dinner quickly turned into one of the highlights of our trip.

A standout moment: our son, a notoriously fussy eater, had his heart set on vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any. Without missing a beat, the manager offered to go out and get some for him. That kind of care and personal touch is rare – and it says everything about the service here.

The food? Excellent. The bacon pizza in particular was a triumph – crisp, smoky, properly indulgent – and a hit with both adults and children. Local wine recommendations from the staff were spot on too – smooth, well-priced, and paired beautifully with the meal.

Restaurante Pistache might look like a simple spot for a bite, but it’s anything but ordinary. If you’re in Carvoeiro and looking for great food, wonderful service, and a genuinely thoughtful team, don’t walk past this place. We’re already planning a...

This place is absolutely awesome service and food-wise. The pizzas are thin crusted and definitely made with fresh ingredients. And they will accommodate adding ingredients of your choice. Service? We only dropped in to check the menu - Tatiana's friendliness convinced us to have a beer which in turn led us to trying the pizzas. Even Cesar (manager, I believe), had the courtesy to inquire as to how the food was. OMG - most restaurants; even those 2 and 3 times as "fancy and expensive" fail in this so simple best practice.

As an aside, and because I don't think my review would be complete, I have to congratulate the management on their bathroom facilities - sparkling CLEAN is the only was to describe them - usually a good indicator of how clean the facility; especially...

We headed to the Mirage for pizza but it was full and smokey, so we went to Pistache because it was mostly empty. Best decision we ever made. Easily the best pizza we ever had. Three different pizzas, 3 perfect pizzas. Prices were great, service great. Nothing negative. We saw pasta being served and it also looked great. Go up the stairs towards the Mirage. There are a few bars and restaurants there. The Pistache is at the back and left. We sat outside. Very happy with our choice. Update a few years later: Still the best pizza we have had. The crust is amazing. Lots of choices. Also a calzone today and it had rave reviews as well. Different location from the first time we were there but great location and easy to find. Indoor and...